The Australian government abandoned its mandatory internet filter policy last year amid criticism it would not be effective, would be costly, slow down services and involved too much censorship.

Australian child welfare advocates have renewed calls for greater internet regulation, saying the British plan would offer youngsters more protection online. But opponents said the Cameron push was likely to fail, and that a compulsory filter was a "dead issue" in Australia.

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Australian Christian Lobby general manager Lyle Shelton said the latest proposal would not prevent adults from viewing pornography, but would provide an extra shield for young people.

"This is about protecting children," he said. "The default setting at ISP level means children are protected but if adults want to view that material, they can opt in. That's perfectly reasonable."

Research shows that 84 per cent of boys and 60 per cent of girls had accidentally been exposed to internet sex sites and that children as young as 11 were regularly viewing pornography.

A number of researchers have claimed easy access to explicit material affects the way young men and women approach sexual relationships.

President of the Australian Council on Children and the Media, Elizabeth Handsley, said exposure to pornography had "normalised" sex acts once considered extreme.

"There is major concern among parents, teachers and other professionals who work with children that access to pornography online is having an impact on young people's development, particularly boys," said Professor Handsley, who is also a law don at Flinders University.

"We are not talking about girlie magazines under the bed, we are talking about hardcore material and that is very troubling."

She said legislation and censorship would not provide a solution on their own, but would reduce the risk of youngsters being exposed to pornography.

"We need to keep trying to get this right," she said. "We need to try every possible avenue. I'm not saying what the British government is proposing is the right thing but they are to be applauded for trying to do something."

In Australia the only sites automatically blocked by ISPs are those on Interpol's "worst of" list, comprising about 1400 known child abuse sites.

160 comments

Surely each of us is the protector of our own morals and standards? How much of our lives do we want others to be responsible for?

Commenter

Scooter

Location

Kam Berra

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 3:24PM

Exactly, we don't need the nanny state to 'protect' us. This sounds like the religious lobby with nothing better to worry about.

Commenter

WillD

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 4:05PM

How true! If its not illegal then why try and control what we as people look at? Though it maybe illegal for under 18's, but that the parents responsibility to educate teens about whats out in this world. Seems the government wants to do the parents job. All parents will need to do in the future to raise kids is feed and clothe them because all morals will be force fed to them by the government.

You going to ban all the offensive material from youtube, facebook and othersites?

You also going to ban kids sending messages to each other? isnt that a huge problem to? Or maybe put chastity belts on all teens to control that aspect of there lives to?

If this get up off the ground it will stop adults not kids, you know why? They will figure out how to bypass it, it only takes one to figure out how to get around these blocks.

Commenter

Dave

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 4:28PM

Careful, you are preaching freedom and personal responsibility. Big Brother wont be pleased.

Commenter

Darryl Melbourne

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 5:16PM

And you lot sound like regular porn viewers. Children have access to it, and that's a problem. Even if they don't have access at home, they find a way though friends, and friends older siblings.

There is no simple solution.

Commenter

sarajane

Location

melbourne

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 5:22PM

I agree and disagree. I agree that people should be responsible for their own protection and choices and that government mandating anything undermines individual autonomy. However, just like the government regulates what side of the road we drive on so as not to be a danger to other commuters, so too it should regulate where on the Internet pornography is available so we don’t inadvertently crash into it.

I would like to see a domain dedicated to pornography and communication authorities enforcing compliance with the power to shut down offending websites and fine owners for not following regulations.

With all pornography relegated and enforced into a discrete domain, just as drivers are forced onto the left or right side of the road, we can make decisions to exclude domains we are not interested in or would rather our children keep away from while under our care.

It is always the role of government to manage the public commons for the free, fair and safe use of the community, comprising both individuals and corporations. The internet is no different and pornography on the internet is a danger to young minds and is proven to be addictive, so clearly should be regulated in some way.

But that regulation should be in the form of enabling and empowering the community, not limiting it in some overbearing, paternalistic “do as I say” kind of way.

So I say, move all online pornographers to their own, allocated domain and enforce they stay there. Doing so would enable everyone, including our children, to more safely navigate the electronic communication pathways we explore and express ourselves within, without unexpectedly colliding head-on with pornography.

Commenter

Gino

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 5:28PM

Another reason to vote Labor last..

Commenter

James

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 6:43PM

People, like many living things, are connected by a system of care and support. We never stand alone. We need one another to survive. We grow up in families that nurture and guide us. We learn early to make friends who support us in different ways. We are not meant to survive long without others. And like the giant redwoods, we do best when we hold onto one another and help each other to keep standing through life's storms. We need others to hold us up, encourage us and to stand with us.When I'm not doing well, it is often because I am going it alone. I don't always let others in. I forget to ask for help; I keep my problems to myself. And though I may not see it, others around me might be doing the same thing.It helps to remember how much like those trees we really are. It might be time to let someone else help hold you up for awhile. Or perhaps someone needs to hang on to you. In short, no man is island. we need each other's care, support to be truly humans.

Commenter

John Macias

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 6:56PM

@ Scooter: Like it or not the government is responsible for and empowered to control what objects, substances, content etc is allowed to be offered or made available in Australia. If the majority of Australians do not want this they will vote accordingly and the laws will change. Your own personal morals, ethics and desires do not decide what is offered or available in Australia. It does decide what you want and that is your absolute right to want stuff. But every country and society has limits to what is available in-country. The materials or content discussed here are not freely available in newsagents, as an example of many, due to the requirement to protect minors. That is the law of Australia. The logic is simple: If not allowed in public places and freely available to minors, it should not be freely available for minors on the internet. Not hard. That is today Australian Law, what is so hard to understand about that. If the law is changed then the availability will change. All people need to do in both cases is legally verify their adult age and they can have all they like. Go for broke. No one is stopping adults accessing adult material, just like going to an adult movie: Prove your age... BTW Scooter, you are over 18yo, or?

Commenter

Mazz

Location

maxg19@ymail.com

Date and time

July 23, 2013, 8:18PM

Im not religious but I think this is a good idea. Nothing stopping anyone from opting in if they want but allows the public to live in a realm without these site accessible on their computers if they wish.

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